Tuliptree Blossom with Guest
Another Day at Work
Apis Workers' Party
Predator
Some of Your Beeswax
Sedum Bumbler
Look of Defiance
Chicory Bee
Bumbling Bees
Garden Cafe
Buzz By Here - To Infinity and Beyond
Pick Your Poison
Blind Side Attack
On a Mission
Honey Bee on Sedum
Covering the Cosmos
Center of the Cosmos
Three's a Crowd
Popular Spot
On A Pedestal
Big Harry Fireworks Display
To Impress the Girl
Different Perspective
Sweet Ride
Perfect Little Piggies B&W
Flipping the Light Fantastic
Festival of Flights
To the Crowd's Delight
Amish Go Round
Wondersome One
The Stars In Her Eyes
Tuesday's Child
Sleeper Hold
Considering the Next Move
Sugar and Spice
Front Porch Portrait
Caged Competitor
Early Adoration
Child In the Ligtht
Stroll Through the Weeds
Attention Grabbing
Eye Contact
On the Line
Eyes of Wonder
Rounding the Curve
Troubadours of Basin Spring Park
Down by the Creek
Sun Day
Catching Some Light
EAA Fireworks
Hear Me Roar
Bird
Watchful Eye
Here’s a little touch of nature for you. I stopped to take some photos around the harbor at Algoma, Wisconsin. It wasn’t a foggy day elsewhere, but conditions were right to create a foggy area around the piers and lighthouse. I took a few photos (some I’ll be posting later) of the pier and a fisherman in the fog, and the lighthouse and boats.
As I finished and headed back to my vehicle, I noticed a few wildflowers growing near the water. I stopped to take a few random shots. Then I noticed a few bees – always a favorite photographic subject of mine – so I stopped to take a few photos of them. Then, as I started to leave again, I noticed a flash of yellow. An American Goldfinch landed in a nearby patch of thistles to enjoy a meal. It didn’t seem bothered by my presence, so I started taking photos. (Some I’ll post later.)
While concentrating on the Goldfinch, I happened to notice a bee in the foreground and refocused on the bee for awhile…as the bird continued to feast in the background.
The one thing I don’t like about this image (and others in the batch) is the background. I think it looks unnatural and fake. The background is simply the water of the harbor. I would have preferred something that had a little more color variation, instead of the flat blue, but I wasn’t able to change my position to create a different look. The thistles were only a foot or two from the water and I was shooting from a position higher than the bird.
If you’d like to see a larger version, just click on the photo.
This photo, and another cropped version, is available for sale. To see pricing, click on the blue bar below.
Aerial Ballet
Two female Ruby-throated hummingbirds perform a delicate dance by my window.
Well, actually…in the interest of full disclosure, they were both flying by my window – just as you see them here – but not at exactly the same time. I combined two different photos to make the scene more interesting. They only missed each other by a minute or two.
To view a larger version, click on the photo.
Happy Hummer Confluence
I spent an hour or so photographing hummingbirds in my yard. This “confluence” is the combination of three separate images. These are female Ruby-throated hummingbirds.
To see a larger version, simply click the photo.
Pretty Boy
Stick your thumb up. Look at the size of it. This bird is no larger than your thumb…and weighs considerably less…and moves way faster.
This is a male Ruby-throated hummingbird; a favorite summer visitor at our house.
To see a larger version of this image, click on it.
Father Son Brunch
This is a father and son pair of Eastern Bluebirds. The son hatched this spring. The father seems to be eyeing the son’s table manners as he downs another mealworm.
We’ve been providing a small amount of mealworms for the bluebirds every morning. Every morning, I wake up the loud singing of male bluebird.
To see a larger version of this image, click on it.
Her Best Side
This little beauty – a female Ruby-Throated Hummingbird – seemed to be posing for me. If you look closely, you can see the very tip of her tongue protruding from her beak. I think she was trying to be sassy without me noticing.
Whiskers
This American Robin was working frantically to fill her beak with grass. I thought it made a comical site. Obviously, somewhere there was a nest to be built.
According to Wikipedia, the American Robin “…is one of the earliest bird species to lay eggs, beginning to breed shortly after returning to its summer range from its winter range. Its nest consists of long coarse grass, twigs, paper, and feathers, and is smeared with mud and often cushioned with grass or other soft materials.”
Though one of the earliset to build its nests, this robin was gathering nesting material at the end of June. Maybe it was starting its second effort of the season.
To view a larger version of this image, simply click on the photo.
Angel’s Wings
This female Ruby-throated hummingbird was keeping an eye on me as I took her profile portrait.
Three things I love about this shot. 1) The sharp detail in the bird’s head. 2) The ghost-like blurring of the wings. 3) The little feathers on the neck that look like flecks of gold.
To see more of the detail, click the photo.
Boastful
This male, Ruby-throated hummingbird was showing off for me. I love it when the light hits their gorget just right and you get a flash of that iridescent, ruby-red color they derive their name from.
For bonus points…
gor·get (gôrjt)
n.
1. A piece of armor protecting the throat.
2. An ornamental collar.
3. The scarflike part of a wimple covering the neck and shoulders.
4. A band or patch of distinctive color on the throat of an animal, especially an area of brightly colored feathers on the throat of a bird.
Click on the image to see a larger image and those brightly colored feathers on the throat in greater detail.
The Breakfast Club
During the few summer months at our rural Wisconsin home, it’s common to hear a distinctive humming sound. If you glance out the window, you’re likely to spot ruby-throated humming birds zipping back and forth, to and fro – competing for a few seconds at the best seat in the house.
I call this “The Breakfast Club” because this group – all females – were photographed around 6 am.
Click the image to view a larger version.